Alpha Conde, President of Guinea, Detained in a Military Coup.

Following reports of shooting outside the capital, an elite national army unit in Guinea announced on Sunday that it had detained the country’s president and seized power.

A soldier with the country’s flag draped around his body delivered a statement on national television in which he stated that the country’s parliament and constitution had been suspended, and that the borders had been closed.

“We are taking our destiny in our own hands,” the soldier said.

“We’re taking control of our own future,” the soldier remarked.

The announcement came after hours of gunfire near the presidential palace in Conakry, as well as instructions to stay indoors.

However, in what appears to be a conflicting report, Guinea’s defense minister said in a statement that military personnel had foiled the coup attempt.

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reading a statement on the revolt on state television on Sunday, vowing: “The responsibility of a soldier is to rescue the country.

“He made no mention of Conde’s whereabouts, and it was unclear where the 83-year-old leader was after the incident on Sunday.

Photos and videos of Conde in the custody of soldiers circulated widely on social media, though their veracity could not be confirmed immediately.

Mamady Doumboya, the coup leader, blamed Guinea’s elites for “the assault of citizens’ rights” and “the disdain of democratic ideals.

“Conde seized office in 2010 during the country’s first democratic election since its independence from France in 1958, promising to improve the country’s corrupt and authoritarian culture.

Guinea, on the other hand, was thrown into upheaval last March when he proposed a constitutional amendment allowing him to seek for a third term, then again in October when he was re-elected.